Power strips/panels that save energy?

Reppyboyo · 31 Aug 2008 at 11:41

Hi,

Just wondering what is out there in power strips that save energy?
I once had a power strip from Intelliplug I think they were called, worked for about 4 months then stopped working. Their support told me to buy their higher end product. :mad:

So that`s them out the window.

Anyone know of a similar, working product that can be used for my comp and tv etc?

james.miller · 31 Aug 2008 at 11:45

save energy? hows that work then?

Namistai · 31 Aug 2008 at 12:45

I think they work by cutting the power completely, so there is no residual power draw (which you find with most electronic components - TV's are a good example). Not sure how they can properly be used with PC's tho, because those types of power strips usually have a 'master' socket which the PC PSU plugs into, then it controls the rest of the sockets in accordance with what the PSU is doing - for example, when you switch the PC off, it turns off everything else for you (and vice versa when you turn the PC on).

I'm not sure if they are worth it for PCs tbh, and I'm afraid I don't know of any examples that are worth trying.

pastymuncher · 31 Aug 2008 at 14:41

Just turn things off at the wall or properly turn them off instead of leaving them in standby.

EsaT · 31 Aug 2008 at 15:49

Namistai said:
I think they work by cutting the power completely, so there is no residual power draw...
because those types of power strips usually have a 'master' socket which the PC PSU plugs into, then it controls the rest of the sockets in accordance with what the PSU is doing

So essentially it just moves that standby consumption from one place to another!

Get something like these with mechanical main switch and use that:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=702&catid=55&subid=1209
Shouldn't be too laborius job... even for homo sapiens urbanus.

Namistai · 31 Aug 2008 at 16:46

EsaT said:
So essentially it just moves that standby consumption from one place to another!

Yea exactly, I think it's false marketing really. There was some guy on Dragons Den with a similar but much more effective product, which worked by remote control codes for TV's etc. So when you tried to turn the TV on by the remote, it would power up the TV from the power strip and thus drew no power from standby

No use for PCs really tho lol

PhillyDee · 31 Aug 2008 at 19:52

I have a PC version of the intelliplug, and its very handy. No need to worry about switching off speakers, headphones, monitor or printer. Once I shut the PC off, everything else is switched off too. (Apart from the PC).

I had a 13A switch on my desktop that used to switch off the multiplug, but I suspect it was causing spikes (No idea how though!). This way is much lazier!

There is a version you can get from the highstreet catalogue store which has support for the multi-remotes.

Reppyboyo · 31 Aug 2008 at 21:39

Namistai said:
Yea exactly, I think it's false marketing really. There was some guy on Dragons Den with a similar but much more effective product, which worked by remote control codes for TV's etc. So when you tried to turn the TV on by the remote, it would power up the TV from the power strip and thus drew no power from standby No use for PCs really tho lol

There is a USB version for PC`s.
Just spotted it on a competitor.